Page 123 - Indian and Himalayan Art, March 15, 2017 Sotheby's NYC
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PROPERTY FROM THE LANIER COLLECTION                                The central gure depicted as Krishna wearing a peacock-
                                                                   feathered crown and accompanied by Balarama and his sister
KRISHNA WITH BALARAMA AND                                          Subhadra. His arms are crossed on his chest. This pose
SUBHADRA                                                           also relates to Pahari images of another Vishnu avatar - the
India, Pahari, Kangra or Guler,                                    Buddha - where we may similarly note folded arms, frontally
circa 1790-1810                                                    viewed with a meditative expression and a bejeweled pendent
                                                                   necklace. A slightly earlier painting which has been attributed
Opaque watercolor heightened with gold on paper                    to Nainsukh of Guler depicts an example of the Buddha Avatar,
image: 7½ by 5½ in. (17.7 by 12.7 cm)                              front view and cross-armed, attended by two brahmin priests;
folio: 9⅔ by 7½ in. (22.8 by 17.8 cm)                              see J. Cummins, Vishnu: Hinduism’s Blue-Skinned Savior, New
                                                                   York, 2011, pp. 233-4, cat. 141-2. Nainsukh had also notably
PROVENANCE                                                         executed an important and innovative group of portraits of
                                                                   his patron Balwant Singh of Jammu who was often similarly
Acquired 1988                                                      depicted frontally.

Seated on a raised golden dais within the pillars of an elaborate  For two earlier Pahari paintings of the Buddha avatar, see J.
white marble pavilion, Krishna with his arms folded across         Cummins, Vishnu: Hinduism’s Blue-Skinned Savior, New York,
his chest, is accompanied by Subhadra and Balarama shown           2011, pp. 233-4, cat. 141-2.

 ngering a small jewel. Ritual objects placed before them.         $ 5,000-7,000

Dark blue inner foliate design margins with white ruled lines
and red- ecked pink outer borders.
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